Here Are The Four New laws Coming Into Effect, from 1st October 2015

The first day of October 2015 is a big day for new laws coming into force. Here are four important ones you should know about:

30-day refund law Rules previously only required refunds for a “reasonable time”, dependant on the item in question. Starting from today though you will now have 30 days to refund any faulty goods. Digital products are now included in this law, for the first time ever. That means consumers who download games, software, music, e-books, films and TV shows are legally entitled to refunds, repairs and replacements if that content is deemed “faulty.”

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms If your rent a home from now on, your landlord will be required by law to install smoke alarms on all of its floors. Carbon monoxide alarms are also required in all rooms with solid fuel burning appliances.

The Government says the new rule will prevent 25 deaths and 700 injuries a year; landlords who don’t comply face a £5,000 fine. This rule applies to England; housing is a devolved issue in Wales and Scotland.

Parking grace period Good news for everyone who’s ever got a parking ticket. If you now park in a private car parking space you are entitled to a 10-minute grace period after your ticket expires and you can’t be fined for ten minutes after the time shown on the ticket.

The policy covers both the end of free parking periods and the end of paid-for parking slots.

Realistically what this means is the parking warden will now be standing by your car as soon as your ticket expires waiting for that 10-minute period to end so he can ruin your life but hey at least you can now be a bit late without being hit with a pathetic fine.

Smoking in cars with children It is now illegal in England and Wales to smoke in a car carrying someone under the age of 18. The rule, which applies to drivers and passengers, is subject to enforcement with a £50 fine.

The law doesn’t apply to anyone driving in a convertible with the roof down, and doesn’t apply to vaping an electronic cigarette. A similar law is expected to follow soon in Scotland